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CFdesign V9 - A Faster Way from MCAD to Solutions

Posted Wed November 22, 2006 @05:56PM

CFdesign V9 Upfront CFD software from Blue Ridge Numerics enables engineers to set up and view first-pass fluid flow and heat transfer simulations in minutes while generating high-fidelity design reviews up to 20 times faster than with previous versions. Developed for multi-tasking mechanical, electro-mechanical, and thermal engineers, V9 also offers new analysis features to increase innovation during new product development.

“The two greatest requirements among engineers in our marketplace are speed and innovation,” says Ed Williams, president of Blue Ridge Numerics. “There is no other CFD package on the market that allows an engineer to go from 3D concept to an innovative, production-ready design as quickly and efficiently as CFdesign V9.”

Meshing headache has left the building
Automation in CFdesign V9 allows both novices and experts to breeze through simulation set up in less time than it takes to get through morning e-mail. The new process is based on two new features: auto mesh sizing and rules on parts.

“This was the last aspect of our software that required some guru-like CFD expertise,” says Williams. “With auto mesh sizing, that headache has left the building.”

CFdesign V9 beta customers report that the mesh is cleaner and smoother, critical transition regions are instantly and expertly managed, and the ultimate CFD solution is achieved faster than ever before.

The new Rules on Parts feature in CFdesign V9 intelligently detects MCAD part names within an assembly and automatically assigns volumetric boundary conditions and material properties. Boundary conditions include heat generation and total heat generation, both of which can be steady-state, transient or temperature dependent. Materials are assigned from CFdesign’s customizable library of fluids, solids, printed circuit boards, and the newly added two-resistor electronic components.

Accelerated simulations
The new Accelerant™ Solver within CFdesign V9 uses proprietary CPU optimization algorithms to radically reduce the time it takes to achieve fully converged fluid-flow and heat-transfer results. Testing conducted by Blue Ridge Numerics and CFdesign customers show that simulation results for simple models can be generated 40 percent faster than in previous versions and extremely complex simulations can be completed up to 2,000 percent faster.

Added analysis power
Blue Ridge Numerics has added new analysis features in CFdesign V9 based on its long-established premise that advanced functionality is fully compatible with ease of use.

Solar loading shows transient electromagnetic heat transfer from the sun. It includes radiation through transparent media and even shows shadowing based on the sun’s movement. Simulation set up is simple: specify time of year, time of day, and location on the globe using the database in CFdesign, or assign specific latitude/longitude coordinates.

Compact Thermal Models allow electronics, mechatronic and thermal engineers to answer one of the biggest questions related to product reliability: “What are the temperatures within microchips during system operation”? Only two parameters, Theta JB and Theta JC, are needed for CFdesign V9 to supply board temperature, junction temperature, case temperature, heat transfer between junction and board, and heat transfer between junction and case for every component within the system. CFdesign V9 supports a wide range of microchip configurations.

Free motion shows movement of solids in any flow direction. Users can enable or limit any of the six degrees of freedom and apply forces, gravity, initial velocity and rotation. Free-motion functionality also tracks forces and torque, detects collisions and records subsequent reactions, and enables users to apply gravity and gravitational acceleration, even designating values different from those on Earth.

Thermostatically controlled fans and blowers enable users to control a fan or blower with a specified trigger temperature. The fan is activated automatically when trigger temperature is reached to provide a highly realistic view of full-cycle system performance.

New design optimization technologies
CFdesign V9 delivers its greatest value to the customer when used to conduct comprehensive design optimization studies prior to physical prototype testing. The software contains two new enabling technologies for this effort: process automation scripting and the design review server.

Process automation scripting allows users to create a project-specific script that defines model set up, analysis execution, and results extraction for a large number of similar analyses that differ parametrically. A trade-off study containing unlimited result quantities are presented as a function of the varying input. Scripts can also be created that allow CFdesign to operate as part of a design optimization environment.

The design review server distributes computations across available networked computers, providing a convenient way to conduct extensive, highly interactive design review sessions while working within current hardware and network limits.

In CFdesign V9, this automotive fuel injection intake manifold was taken from MCAD to first-pass flow and thermal simulation in less than 20 minutes. Forty-five minutes later high fidelity results were ready for interactive design review.